Short question: Assuming that both policies are free, can having a secondary health insurance policy be detrimental?
Long question: I have good health insurance coverage for my family, paid for by my employer. My wife is starting a new job, and her new employer will pay for a high deductible plan for her. Reading online about “coordination of benefits,” her insurance will become primary for her and mine secondary. One explanation I read said that the second policy would work just like before. However several sites say that “both policies’ deductibles must be met”. Does this mean her several thousand dollar primary policy deductible must be met before the secondary policy will pay? Will she effectively be peanalized for taking the insurance?